Reference:16718: Difference between revisions

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{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 — BezelBase
|title=Rolex 16718 GMT-Master II — Production, Dial Variants, Serial Ranges | BezelBase
|description=The `16718` is the solid yellow-gold GMT-Master II of the `16710` era. It takes the independent GMT-hand system inherited from the `16760` and puts it…
|description=The 16718 is the all-yellow-gold GMT-Master II of 1989 to 2005. Caliber 3185 with rare late cal 3186, four documented dials (black, brown sunburst, white, champagne / silver serti), black or brown ("rootbeer") aluminium bezel, 18K Oyster or Jubilee bracelet.
|keywords=Rolex, 16718, GMT-Master, specifications, reference guide
|keywords=Rolex, 16718, GMT-Master II, yellow gold, caliber 3185, serti dial, rootbeer
|image=Ref 16718 hero.webp
|image_alt=18k yellow-gold GMT-Master II
|type=article
|type=article
|og_type=article
|published_time=2026-04-18T03:22:36Z
|modified_time=2026-04-29T12:10:00Z
|robots=index,follow,max-image-preview:large
}}
}}


<small>[[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] -> '''16718'''</small>


<small>[[Reference:gmt-master|GMT-Master]] → '''16718'''</small>
The [[Reference:16718|16718]] is the all-yellow-gold variant of the 16710 — the 18K case-and-bracelet sister to the steel [[Reference:16710|16710]] and the two-tone [[Reference:16713|16713]]. Production runs 1989 to approximately 2005, succeeded by the 116718LN with the new ceramic Cerachrom bezel and the 50th-anniversary green dial. Same caliber 3185 across most of the run, same 40mm Oyster case dimensions, same flyer-GMT mechanic — but executed in 18K yellow gold throughout, with the dial palette weighted toward Cellini-buyer evening-dress configurations alongside the standard sport variants.
 
The [[Reference:16718|16718]] is the solid yellow-gold GMT-Master II of the [[Reference:16710|16710]] era, produced from 1989 to 2007. It took the independent 24-hour hand inherited from the [[Reference:16760|16760]] and put it in a full-gold case, well before ceramic rewrote the look of the family. It is the gold GMT-Master II of the five-digit period, and it is a serious collector reference on its own terms rather than a dressed-up version of the steel watch.
 
Documentation is uneven across the two retail configurations. The black-dial watch is well attested in dealer listings and auction cataloguing. The brown-dial Root Beer configuration is named as period-correct in the major collector references but surfaces less often in direct sale material.


<span id="core-facts"></span>
<span id="core-facts"></span>


[[File:Ref 16718 hero.webp|thumb|right|340px|alt=18k yellow-gold GMT-Master II|18k yellow-gold GMT-Master II]]
[[File:Ref 16718 hero.webp|thumb|right|250px|alt=18k yellow-gold GMT-Master II|18k yellow-gold GMT-Master II]]


== Core facts ==
== Core facts ==
Line 28: Line 31:
|-
|-
| family
| family
| GMT-Master II
| GMT-Master II (all-yellow-gold variant)
|-
|-
| production
| production
| roughly 1989-2007
| 1989 to approximately 2005. Replaced by the 116718LN at Baselworld 2005 alongside the GMT-Master 50th-anniversary green-dial release. The "2003" reading sometimes cited for end of production is wrong — that date traces to the steel 116710LN launch, not the gold version
|-
|-
| movement
| total examples
| caliber 3185, with late 3186 noted in the Field Manual
| no published Rolex production figure
|-
|-
| case
| case
| 40mm solid yellow-gold Oyster case
| 40mm 18K yellow-gold Oyster with crown guards, 100m water resistance
|-
|-
| crystal
| crystal
| sapphire with Cyclops
| sapphire with Cyclops; laser-etched coronet at 6 o'clock from approximately 2003
|-
| movement
| caliber 3185 across most of the run (Nivarox flat hairspring with Breguet overcoil); rare late-production caliber 3186 with Parachrom blue hairspring on end-of-run examples. The 3186 is documented inconsistently for the 16718 specifically — the bulk of the corpus reads cal 3185 throughout
|-
| GMT mechanic
| flyer GMT — independently adjustable local hour hand, 24-hour hand tracks home time independently
|-
|-
| water resistance
| dial generations
| 100m
| four documented configurations: glossy black, brown sunburst ("rootbeer"), white, champagne / silver serti gem-set with diamond hour markers and ruby accents at 6 / 9. (GMT serti dials use rubies, not the Submariner's sapphires.)
|-
|-
| bezel
| bezel
| black in the surviving market examples, with brown branch support in collector literature
| 24-hour aluminium insert in two factory configurations: black or brown ("rootbeer"). No factory pavé-diamond bezel surfaces in major-house lots — diamond-set bezels on 16718 cases circulate as aftermarket conversions
|-
|-
| key identity
| bracelet
| solid-gold GMT-Master II with stronger black-branch documentation than the current direct brown layer
| 18K Oyster (sport-leaning, more often paired with black-dial) or 18K Jubilee (more often paired with serti and rootbeer). Bracelet codes: 78368 Oyster, 8386 Jubilee — both stamped on the largest centre link
|}
|}


Line 55: Line 64:
== Where it sits in the line ==
== Where it sits in the line ==


The [[Reference:16718|16718]] is the solid-gold partner to the steel [[Reference:16710|16710]] and the two-tone [[Reference:16713|16713]]. Within the gold branch, the direct predecessor is the [[Reference:16758|16758]], which still carried the old linked-hand logic. The [[Reference:16718|16718]] replaces that behavior with a separately adjustable 24-hour hand while keeping the classical five-digit case shape. The later ceramic gold GMTs push the look toward overt luxury; the [[Reference:16718|16718]] is the gold watch that fully crosses into GMT-Master II behavior without crossing into the modern idiom.
The 16718 is the all-yellow-gold counterpart to the [[Reference:16710|16710]] within the five-digit GMT-Master II line — same case shape, same caliber, same flyer-GMT mechanic, but executed in 18K yellow gold throughout. It runs in parallel with the all-steel 16710, the two-tone 16713 Rootbeer, and (from 2005) the ceramic 116718LN successor. The reference replaces the [[Reference:16758|16758]] (1979/80–1988, caliber 3075, caller GMT) which ran on the synchronized hand-set logic of the original GMT-Master line.
 
The 16718 inherits the gold case-and-bracelet positioning of the 16758 but adopts the new GMT-Master II flyer mechanic and the 1989-onwards sapphire-crystal Oyster case with crown guards. The next-generation gold GMT is the 116718LN (2005-onwards, caliber 3186 flyer GMT, Cerachrom ceramic bezel, Maxi dial, Super Case, solid-centre-link Oyster bracelet).


<span id="production-outline"></span>
<span id="production-outline"></span>
== Production outline ==
== Production outline ==


Rolex ran the [[Reference:16718|16718]] from 1989 to 2007, an 18-year span that straddles the transition from late-1980s retail into the early ceramic era. Both the black-dial and brown-dial Root Beer configurations ran alongside each other through that window.
Launch year unanimous at 1989 — the 16718 entered the catalog as the gold partner to the new flyer-GMT 16710, retiring the 16758 it succeeded. End year reads at 2005 across the editorial and Major-house lots, lining up with the Baselworld launch of the 116718LN as the 50th-anniversary green-dial replacement. The "2003" reading sometimes carried in dealer summaries traces to the steel 116710LN launch year, not the gold version — the all-gold 116718LN is a 2005 release, not 2003.


<span id="black-branch"></span>
A discrete intra-production case-stamp transition runs c.2002–2003 alongside the steel and two-tone sisters: lug holes drop and the laser-etched coronet appears on the sapphire crystal at 6 o'clock. The 16718 follows the same case revision sequence as the 16710 / 16713, although the gold-case-stamp variant is sometimes catalogued without the "T" suffix that the steel sister carried.
=== Black branch ===


The black-dial watch with black 24-hour insert is the configuration that dominates surviving examples and contemporary dealer inventory. Early and late examples are both readily found, and the black branch is what most buyers encounter when they look for a [[Reference:16718|16718]] today.
No total-production figure surfaces in the surveyed sources. Specialist coverage describes the gold variant as much rarer than the steel 16710 — the run is meaningfully smaller given the case material, but no source quantifies it.


<span id="brown-branch"></span>
<span id="movement-notes"></span>
=== Brown branch ===
== Movement notes ==
 
The brown Root Beer configuration with bronze-tinted bezel insert is documented across the major collector references. Revolution's two-part GMT-Master II survey treats the brown solid-gold watch as a period-correct retail option alongside the black version. The Vintage Rolex Field Manual places the brown solid-gold [[Reference:16718|16718]] inside the Root Beer continuity that runs from the 1675/8 through the [[Reference:16758|16758]]. Sotheby's Root Beer guide does the same. None of these sources publish reference-specific hammer-price data, but all three treat the brown branch as genuinely produced and genuinely scarce.


Direct sale evidence is thinner than for the black watch. A brown [[Reference:16718|16718]] offered today deserves archive papers and dial-foot photography rather than trust by catalogue claim.
Caliber 3185 powers most of the run. Specifications carry over directly from the 16710 / 16713: 31 jewels, 28,800 vph, 50-hour reserve, hacking, quickset date, COSC chronometer, Glucydur balance with Microstella four-screw regulation, Kif Elastor anti-shock. The 3185 hairspring is Nivarox flat with a Breguet overcoil — the blue Parachrom hairspring arrives later on caliber 3186.


<span id="movement-notes"></span>
Late-production 16718 examples may carry the upgraded caliber 3186 with the Parachrom blue hairspring and the spring-loaded date mechanism that fixed the 3185's GMT-hand creep. The 3185 → 3186 transition window for the 16718 specifically is documented inconsistently across editorial — the bulk of documented examples reads cal 3185 throughout the 16718 production. A 3186 in a 16718 case warrants serial-aware verification.
== Movement notes ==


Caliber 3185 powered the reference through most of the run, with late examples documented on the updated 3186 in the Field Manual. Independent-hour GMT-Master II functionality is present throughout. Mechanically the [[Reference:16718|16718]] is not a transitional watch. The interest sits elsewhere, in branch survival and in how lightly the surviving population was worn.
The flyer-GMT mechanic with independently adjustable local hour is the same architectural break from the linked-hand 3075 that ran in the 16758 predecessor.


<span id="dial-map"></span>
<span id="dial-map"></span>
Line 84: Line 91:
[[File:Ref 16718 early-black.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Early black 16718|Early black 16718]]
[[File:Ref 16718 early-black.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Early black 16718|Early black 16718]]


<span id="black-branch-1"></span>
Four documented dial branches across the run.
=== Black branch ===


Black dial with black 24-hour bezel. An early-run and a later-run example cover most of what a buyer needs to see. The applied hour markers sit inside fine gold surrounds, with a gilt coronet that matches the case colour.
<span id="black-glossy-nipple"></span>
=== Glossy black ===


<span id="brown-branch-1"></span>
The standard sport configuration. Glossy black lacquer with applied yellow-gold-surround indices ("nipple" markers — precious-metal cones with a central tritium plot in earlier production, applied yellow-gold-surround indices in later production). Pairs most often with the all-black aluminium bezel insert. The black 16718 lacquer is the more stable formulation; black-dial examples age more cleanly than the brown sunburst.
=== Brown branch ===


Brown Root Beer dial with bronze-tinted bezel insert, period-correct alongside the black watch according to Revolution, the Field Manual, and the Sotheby's Root Beer guide. It appears less often in direct sale material than the black configuration, and a period-correct brown example should be matched carefully against the collector literature on dial printing and bezel colour.
<span id="brown-sunburst-rootbeer"></span>
=== Brown sunburst ("rootbeer") ===


<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown-notes"></span>
The signature gold-rootbeer configuration on the 16718. Brown sunburst lacquer with applied yellow-gold nipple markers; pairs with the brown-and-cream "rootbeer" bezel insert. The lacquer carries the period formulation that produces flaking on the 16713 and 16753 brown sunburst — the standing condition warning is identical, with damage typically concentrated around the index circumference. Italian and Middle-Eastern collector demand drove much of the regular 16718 brown market through the 1990s.
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown notes ==


[[File:Ref 16718 bezel-closeup.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Black 24-hour bezel close-up|Black 24-hour bezel close-up]]
The "Sundust" finish that appears on modern Everose Daytona / Datejust / Day-Date production is a different surface treatment — using "Sundust" on a 1989–2005 yellow-gold GMT will read wrong to collectors. The vintage 16718 brown is correctly described as brown sunburst or rootbeer.


The case is the full-gold five-digit Oyster case with sapphire crystal, Cyclops, and a 24-hour aluminum insert. The bezel branch map is where the sources diverge. The Field Manual table leans toward a black-bezel LN reading as the standard fitment. Revolution states the watch came in both a black-dial with black-bezel form and a brown-dial with bronze-bezel form. The conflict is real and unresolved in the published record.
<span id="white-dial"></span>
=== White ===


Gold GMT-Master II dials evolved across the run in a way buyers should know. Early [[Reference:16718|16718]] dials carry a narrower gold surround around each lume plot, inherited from the [[Reference:16758|16758]], with a more pronounced bevel and a warmer gilt coronet. Later dials widen the surround slightly and move toward a flatter, more uniform baton geometry. The change is gradual, and no service-parts catalogue line pins it to a specific year. Side-by-side images in Revolution and the Sotheby's Root Beer piece show the two styles clearly. When dating a specific watch, the surround style, coronet tone, and dial-foot printing should track the serial range before any late-period attribution is accepted, because service dials occasionally turn up on earlier cases.
A less-common factory dial configuration. White ground with applied yellow-gold-surround indices and yellow-gold coronet, paired with the all-black bezel insert. Surfaces less frequently than the black or brown branches and carries its own collector niche.


<span id="bracelets-end-links-clasps-and-packaging-notes"></span>
<span id="champagne-silver-serti"></span>
== Bracelets, end links, clasps, and packaging notes ==
=== Champagne / silver serti ===


[[File:Ref 16718 gold-oyster.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Gold Oyster bracelet|Gold Oyster bracelet]]
A factory gem-set variant on the standard 16718 architecture. Champagne or silvered ground with diamond hour markers and triangular ruby markers at 6 and 9 — replacing the standard nipple-marker / luminous-plot layout with precious-stone hour markers. The 16713 and 16718 are the only two GMT references to receive serti dials (the Submariner serti uses sapphires; the GMT serti uses rubies, the diagnostic distinction). Serti-dial 16718s most often pair with the 18K Jubilee bracelet.


Surviving black-dial examples lean Oyster in dealer inventory, which is a market tendency rather than an original-delivery rule; Jubilee fitment existed as a retail option through the run.
<span id="case-bezel-crystal-and-crown"></span>
== Case, bezel, crystal, and crown ==


Late-production examples from roughly 2000 onward are the ones most likely to surface today with a full set. A well-kept late example usually carries the outer card sleeve, the green-and-gold inner presentation box, the punched warranty card with a matching five-digit serial, the product booklets in the appropriate language, the hang tag with its red Rolex seal, and the anchor-crown chronometer swing tag. Earlier examples more often arrive with card and booklets but without the outer sleeve or hang tag, because owners discarded those layers sooner. Auction catalogues consistently note a full-set premium on late gold GMTs without publishing reference-specific numbers. Buyers chasing strict originality usually prioritise the punched warranty card, which ties directly to the watch and can be cross-checked against dealer stamps and country of delivery.
[[File:Ref 16718 bezel-closeup.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Black 24-hour bezel close-up|Black 24-hour bezel close-up]]


<span id="special-branches"></span>
The case is the standard 40mm Oyster of the 16710 era, executed in 18K yellow gold throughout — mid-case, lugs, bezel ring, crown, and outer bracelet links all gold. Sapphire crystal with Cyclops over the date sits on the standard sapphire-era crown-guard architecture; from approximately 2003 the laser-etched coronet appears at 6 o'clock on the sapphire. Water resistance is 100m.
== Special branches ==


<span id="black-dial-branch"></span>
The bezel is a 24-hour bidirectional aluminium insert in two factory configurations: black aluminium or brown-and-cream "rootbeer." The bezel itself is solid 18K yellow gold; the colour comes from the insert. Pepsi (red and blue) does not appear as a factory option on the 16718 — that exists on the steel 16710 only.
=== Black-dial branch ===


Black dial, black 24-hour bezel, gold Oyster bracelet. The configuration that dominates surviving examples and the first image a buyer encounters searching for a [[Reference:16718|16718]].
A factory pavé-diamond bezel for the 16718 does not surface in major-house lots. Diamond-set bezels do exist on 16718 cases in the dealer market but circulate as aftermarket conversions rather than factory configurations. Treat any "factory diamond bezel 16718" claim as unverified pending a primary catalog or Rolex archive citation; aftermarket bezels are common on the 16718 in the gold-watch dealer market.


<span id="brown-branch-2"></span>
<span id="bracelets-end-links-and-clasps"></span>
=== Brown branch ===
== Bracelets, end links, and clasps ==


Revolution, the Field Manual, and the Sotheby's Root Beer guide treat the brown solid-gold [[Reference:16718|16718]] as a period-correct retail configuration with a bronze-tinted bezel insert. Direct sale examples are sparse in auction catalogues. A 1993 brown Root Beer example with Rolex CPO papers, listed in dealer inventory with caliber 3185 and yellow-gold case, is the cleanest recent anchor for the brown branch on the direct market.
[[File:Ref 16718 gold-oyster.webp|thumb|right|280px|alt=Gold Oyster bracelet|Gold Oyster bracelet]]


<span id="scarcity-angle"></span>
Two factory 18K bracelet options on the 16718:
=== Scarcity angle ===
* '''18K Oyster 78368''' — three-link, sport-leaning configuration. More often paired with black-dial sport configurations.
* '''18K Jubilee 8386''' (sometimes hidden-clasp "Super Jubilee") — five-link, dressier configuration. More often paired with serti and rootbeer dials.


Gold GMT-Master II watches sold slowly at retail through the 1990s and early 2000s. The pattern is consistent with what auction cataloguers report for late-run precious-metal sports Rolexes across the era: light in-period demand followed by light wrist time on the examples that did sell. The result is twofold. Unpolished [[Reference:16718|16718]] examples with sharp lugs and crisp bezel-fitment gaps are easier to find than an equivalent [[Reference:16710|16710]]. And the installed base is smaller than the 18-year production span suggests, which is why clean examples can disappear from dealer inventory quickly. Rolex has never published production totals for the reference, so the scarcity read remains a market observation rather than an archival figure.
Clasps are 18K Fliplock Oyster or hidden-crown Jubilee. Bracelet codes (78368 Oyster, 8386 Jubilee) date the bracelet, not the watch head — a clasp dating later than the case head implies a swap or service replacement. Both bracelet options run across the entire 1989–2005 production window with no clean delivery split by year.


<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
<span id="historical-market-and-auction-record"></span>
== Historical market and auction record ==
== Historical market and auction record ==


Direct-market anchors now cover both branches. A 1994 black-dial [[Reference:16718|16718]] on yellow-gold Oyster with caliber 3185, offered by a major CPO dealer at $40,000, anchors the mid-1990s black watch with current retail context. A 1988 solid-gold example fitted to a Horween leather strap and carrying a blue insert sits in documented inventory as well; the blue-insert claim is unusual enough to be read as a data point rather than a normal production branch. A 1993 brown Root Beer example with Rolex CPO papers closes the longest-standing gap, giving the brown branch a direct-sale reference alongside the collector literature.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sale !! Lot !! Year of watch !! Configuration !! Result
|-
| Phillips Geneva Watch Auction XIV || 148 || 2021 || rootbeer dial with brown insert, full Rolex service April 2021, engraved-Rolex caseback intact || login-gated
|-
| Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction SEVEN || 956 || 2018 || c.1990 18K yellow gold, early production || login-gated
|-
| Sotheby's Watches || — || 2020 || yellow-gold automatic dual time || login-gated
|-
| EveryWatch aggregate || Rare Watches lot 207 || — || 1989 champagne dial || aggregate
|-
| EveryWatch / Watches Online: The Geneva Edit || — || — || c.1989 (catalog "1985" likely typo) || aggregate
|}


Every current anchor is a retail or CPO listing. A hammered Phillips, Sotheby's, or Christie's result would strengthen the record further, particularly on the brown branch, where collector literature has run ahead of sale documentation for years.
The 16718 trades on the gold-watch dealer market more than at major auction. The Phillips Geneva XIV 2021 lot is the strongest single auction-house anchor on the documented record. Standard black-and-Jubilee or rootbeer-and-Jubilee examples cluster across a higher band than the steel 16710 driven by the gold-case material content. Serti gem-set examples sit in their own tier above the standard market — the 16713 and 16718 are the only GMT references with the factory serti option, which the gold variant carries with the most documented collector demand.


== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* The Vintage Rolex Field Manual, Chevalier Edition — unknown, Morning Tundra
 
* [https://revolutionwatch.com/masterstroke-the-gmt-master-part-ii/ Master Stroke — The Rolex GMT-Master: Part II] — Ross Povey, Revolution
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/history-rolex-gmt-master-and-gmt-master-ii-1955-2024-iconic-traveller-watch-in-depth-review/ In-Depth: The History of the Rolex GMT-Master and GMT-Master II] (Monochrome)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/a-concise-guide-to-the-rolex-gmt-root-beer A Closer Look at the Rolex Root Beer] — Christina Bohn, Sotheby's
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/the-rolex-gmt-master-the-complete-collectors-guide The Rolex GMT-Master: A Complete Collector's Guide] — Stephen Pulvirent (Sotheby's)
* [https://www.vrfm.io/gold-gmt-masters.html The Vintage Solid Gold Rolex GMT Master] — MORNINGTUNDRA, VRFM.io
* [https://www.fratellowatches.com/tbt-rolex-gmt-master-16718/ #TBT Rolex GMT Master 16718] (Fratello)
* [https://hairspring.com/blogs/finds/16718-rolex-gmt-master-ii 16718 Rolex GMT-Master II] — Erik Gustafson, Hairspring
* [https://watchbase.com/rolex/gmt-master/16718 Rolex GMT-Master 16718 reference page] (Watchbase)
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/used-rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-16718-18k-yellow-gold.html Used Rolex GMT-Master II Ref 16718 18k Yellow Gold] — unknown, Bob's Watches
* [https://www.chrono24.com/magazine/golden-boy-with-retro-flair-the-new-rolex-yellow-gold-gmt-master-ii-p_114312/ Golden Boy with Retro Flair: The New Rolex Yellow Gold GMT-Master II] (Chrono24 Magazine)
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-16718-black-dial.html Rolex GMT-Master II ref 16718 Black Dial] — unknown, Bob's Watches
* [https://watchesoff5th.com/blogs/news/closer-look-at-the-discontinued-rolex-gmt-master-ii-in-yellow-gold Closer Look at the Discontinued Rolex GMT-Master II in Yellow Gold] (Watches Off 5th)
* RolexForums 16718 thread bundle — RolexForums community, RolexForums
* [https://www.swisswatchexpo.com/thewatchclub/2024/01/02/rolex-gmt-master-ii-yellow-gold-and-rolesor-yellow-gold-editions/ Rolex GMT-Master II Yellow Gold and Rolesor Yellow Gold Editions]
* [https://www.grayandsons.com/blog/the-history-and-evolution-of-the-rolex-gmt-master-ii/ The History and Evolution of the Rolex GMT-Master II]
* [https://www.grayandsons.com/blog/watch-talk-what-are-rolex-serti-dials/ What Are Rolex Serti Dials?]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/watch-review/5-unforgettable-examples-serti-dial.html 5 Unforgettable Examples of Serti Dials]
* [https://monochrome-watches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii-steel-yellow-gold-two-tone-rolesor-126713grnr-hands-on-review-price/ Rolex GMT-Master II 126713GRNR hands-on review] (Monochrome)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080221/148 Rolex 16718 rootbeer — Phillips Geneva XIV lot 148] (Phillips, 2021)
* [https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/HK080218/956 Rolex 16718 c.1990 — Phillips Hong Kong SEVEN lot 956] (Phillips, 2018)
* [https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/watches/rolex-gmt-master-ii-ref-16718-a-yellow-gold Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 16718 — Sotheby's Watches] (Sotheby's, 2020)
* [https://everywatch.com/rolex/16718/watch-9016154 1989 16718 champagne dial Rare Watches lot 207] (EveryWatch)
* [https://watch.the1916company.com/videos/rolex-gmt-master-ii-jubilee-16718-review Rolex GMT-Master II Jubilee 16718 review]
* [https://www.bernardwatch.com/Rolex/GMT-Master-II/RLX5804 Rolex 16718 champagne Serti dial] (Bernard Watch)
* [https://thekeystone.com/products/rolex-yellow-gold-gmt-master-diamond-ruby-watch-ref-16718 Rolex Yellow Gold GMT-Master Diamond Ruby Ref. 16718] (The Keystone)
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii-16718-jubilee-18k-yellow-gold.html Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 Jubilee 18K Yellow Gold]
* [https://www.bobswatches.com/pre-owned-rolex-gmt-master-ii-16718-serti-dial.html Rolex GMT-Master II 16718 Serti Dial]
* [https://www.swisswatchexpo.com/watches/rolex-gmt-master-rootbeer-18k-yellow-gold-vintage-mens-watch-16718-32175/ Rolex GMT-Master Rootbeer 18K Yellow Gold 16718]
* [https://www.jaztime.com/rolex-gmt-master-ii-yellow-gold-black-dial-oyster-bracelet-116718ln 116718LN Yellow Gold Black Dial] (Jaztime)
* ''The Vintage Rolex Field Manual'' — Colin A. White, Morning Tundra


[[Category:GMT-Master]]
[[Category:GMT-Master]]
[[Category:Working Draft]]
[[Category:Working Draft]]

Latest revision as of 04:21, 30 April 2026


GMT-Master -> 16718

The 16718 is the all-yellow-gold variant of the 16710 — the 18K case-and-bracelet sister to the steel 16710 and the two-tone 16713. Production runs 1989 to approximately 2005, succeeded by the 116718LN with the new ceramic Cerachrom bezel and the 50th-anniversary green dial. Same caliber 3185 across most of the run, same 40mm Oyster case dimensions, same flyer-GMT mechanic — but executed in 18K yellow gold throughout, with the dial palette weighted toward Cellini-buyer evening-dress configurations alongside the standard sport variants.

18k yellow-gold GMT-Master II
18k yellow-gold GMT-Master II

Core facts

detail value
reference 16718
family GMT-Master II (all-yellow-gold variant)
production 1989 to approximately 2005. Replaced by the 116718LN at Baselworld 2005 alongside the GMT-Master 50th-anniversary green-dial release. The "2003" reading sometimes cited for end of production is wrong — that date traces to the steel 116710LN launch, not the gold version
total examples no published Rolex production figure
case 40mm 18K yellow-gold Oyster with crown guards, 100m water resistance
crystal sapphire with Cyclops; laser-etched coronet at 6 o'clock from approximately 2003
movement caliber 3185 across most of the run (Nivarox flat hairspring with Breguet overcoil); rare late-production caliber 3186 with Parachrom blue hairspring on end-of-run examples. The 3186 is documented inconsistently for the 16718 specifically — the bulk of the corpus reads cal 3185 throughout
GMT mechanic flyer GMT — independently adjustable local hour hand, 24-hour hand tracks home time independently
dial generations four documented configurations: glossy black, brown sunburst ("rootbeer"), white, champagne / silver serti gem-set with diamond hour markers and ruby accents at 6 / 9. (GMT serti dials use rubies, not the Submariner's sapphires.)
bezel 24-hour aluminium insert in two factory configurations: black or brown ("rootbeer"). No factory pavé-diamond bezel surfaces in major-house lots — diamond-set bezels on 16718 cases circulate as aftermarket conversions
bracelet 18K Oyster (sport-leaning, more often paired with black-dial) or 18K Jubilee (more often paired with serti and rootbeer). Bracelet codes: 78368 Oyster, 8386 Jubilee — both stamped on the largest centre link

Where it sits in the line

The 16718 is the all-yellow-gold counterpart to the 16710 within the five-digit GMT-Master II line — same case shape, same caliber, same flyer-GMT mechanic, but executed in 18K yellow gold throughout. It runs in parallel with the all-steel 16710, the two-tone 16713 Rootbeer, and (from 2005) the ceramic 116718LN successor. The reference replaces the 16758 (1979/80–1988, caliber 3075, caller GMT) which ran on the synchronized hand-set logic of the original GMT-Master line.

The 16718 inherits the gold case-and-bracelet positioning of the 16758 but adopts the new GMT-Master II flyer mechanic and the 1989-onwards sapphire-crystal Oyster case with crown guards. The next-generation gold GMT is the 116718LN (2005-onwards, caliber 3186 flyer GMT, Cerachrom ceramic bezel, Maxi dial, Super Case, solid-centre-link Oyster bracelet).

Production outline

Launch year unanimous at 1989 — the 16718 entered the catalog as the gold partner to the new flyer-GMT 16710, retiring the 16758 it succeeded. End year reads at 2005 across the editorial and Major-house lots, lining up with the Baselworld launch of the 116718LN as the 50th-anniversary green-dial replacement. The "2003" reading sometimes carried in dealer summaries traces to the steel 116710LN launch year, not the gold version — the all-gold 116718LN is a 2005 release, not 2003.

A discrete intra-production case-stamp transition runs c.2002–2003 alongside the steel and two-tone sisters: lug holes drop and the laser-etched coronet appears on the sapphire crystal at 6 o'clock. The 16718 follows the same case revision sequence as the 16710 / 16713, although the gold-case-stamp variant is sometimes catalogued without the "T" suffix that the steel sister carried.

No total-production figure surfaces in the surveyed sources. Specialist coverage describes the gold variant as much rarer than the steel 16710 — the run is meaningfully smaller given the case material, but no source quantifies it.

Movement notes

Caliber 3185 powers most of the run. Specifications carry over directly from the 16710 / 16713: 31 jewels, 28,800 vph, 50-hour reserve, hacking, quickset date, COSC chronometer, Glucydur balance with Microstella four-screw regulation, Kif Elastor anti-shock. The 3185 hairspring is Nivarox flat with a Breguet overcoil — the blue Parachrom hairspring arrives later on caliber 3186.

Late-production 16718 examples may carry the upgraded caliber 3186 with the Parachrom blue hairspring and the spring-loaded date mechanism that fixed the 3185's GMT-hand creep. The 3185 → 3186 transition window for the 16718 specifically is documented inconsistently across editorial — the bulk of documented examples reads cal 3185 throughout the 16718 production. A 3186 in a 16718 case warrants serial-aware verification.

The flyer-GMT mechanic with independently adjustable local hour is the same architectural break from the linked-hand 3075 that ran in the 16758 predecessor.

Dial map

Early black 16718
Early black 16718

Four documented dial branches across the run.

Glossy black

The standard sport configuration. Glossy black lacquer with applied yellow-gold-surround indices ("nipple" markers — precious-metal cones with a central tritium plot in earlier production, applied yellow-gold-surround indices in later production). Pairs most often with the all-black aluminium bezel insert. The black 16718 lacquer is the more stable formulation; black-dial examples age more cleanly than the brown sunburst.

Brown sunburst ("rootbeer")

The signature gold-rootbeer configuration on the 16718. Brown sunburst lacquer with applied yellow-gold nipple markers; pairs with the brown-and-cream "rootbeer" bezel insert. The lacquer carries the period formulation that produces flaking on the 16713 and 16753 brown sunburst — the standing condition warning is identical, with damage typically concentrated around the index circumference. Italian and Middle-Eastern collector demand drove much of the regular 16718 brown market through the 1990s.

The "Sundust" finish that appears on modern Everose Daytona / Datejust / Day-Date production is a different surface treatment — using "Sundust" on a 1989–2005 yellow-gold GMT will read wrong to collectors. The vintage 16718 brown is correctly described as brown sunburst or rootbeer.

White

A less-common factory dial configuration. White ground with applied yellow-gold-surround indices and yellow-gold coronet, paired with the all-black bezel insert. Surfaces less frequently than the black or brown branches and carries its own collector niche.

Champagne / silver serti

A factory gem-set variant on the standard 16718 architecture. Champagne or silvered ground with diamond hour markers and triangular ruby markers at 6 and 9 — replacing the standard nipple-marker / luminous-plot layout with precious-stone hour markers. The 16713 and 16718 are the only two GMT references to receive serti dials (the Submariner serti uses sapphires; the GMT serti uses rubies, the diagnostic distinction). Serti-dial 16718s most often pair with the 18K Jubilee bracelet.

Case, bezel, crystal, and crown

Black 24-hour bezel close-up
Black 24-hour bezel close-up

The case is the standard 40mm Oyster of the 16710 era, executed in 18K yellow gold throughout — mid-case, lugs, bezel ring, crown, and outer bracelet links all gold. Sapphire crystal with Cyclops over the date sits on the standard sapphire-era crown-guard architecture; from approximately 2003 the laser-etched coronet appears at 6 o'clock on the sapphire. Water resistance is 100m.

The bezel is a 24-hour bidirectional aluminium insert in two factory configurations: black aluminium or brown-and-cream "rootbeer." The bezel itself is solid 18K yellow gold; the colour comes from the insert. Pepsi (red and blue) does not appear as a factory option on the 16718 — that exists on the steel 16710 only.

A factory pavé-diamond bezel for the 16718 does not surface in major-house lots. Diamond-set bezels do exist on 16718 cases in the dealer market but circulate as aftermarket conversions rather than factory configurations. Treat any "factory diamond bezel 16718" claim as unverified pending a primary catalog or Rolex archive citation; aftermarket bezels are common on the 16718 in the gold-watch dealer market.

Bracelets, end links, and clasps

Gold Oyster bracelet
Gold Oyster bracelet

Two factory 18K bracelet options on the 16718:

  • 18K Oyster 78368 — three-link, sport-leaning configuration. More often paired with black-dial sport configurations.
  • 18K Jubilee 8386 (sometimes hidden-clasp "Super Jubilee") — five-link, dressier configuration. More often paired with serti and rootbeer dials.

Clasps are 18K Fliplock Oyster or hidden-crown Jubilee. Bracelet codes (78368 Oyster, 8386 Jubilee) date the bracelet, not the watch head — a clasp dating later than the case head implies a swap or service replacement. Both bracelet options run across the entire 1989–2005 production window with no clean delivery split by year.

Historical market and auction record

Sale Lot Year of watch Configuration Result
Phillips Geneva Watch Auction XIV 148 2021 rootbeer dial with brown insert, full Rolex service April 2021, engraved-Rolex caseback intact login-gated
Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction SEVEN 956 2018 c.1990 18K yellow gold, early production login-gated
Sotheby's Watches — 2020 yellow-gold automatic dual time login-gated
EveryWatch aggregate Rare Watches lot 207 — 1989 champagne dial aggregate
EveryWatch / Watches Online: The Geneva Edit — — c.1989 (catalog "1985" likely typo) aggregate

The 16718 trades on the gold-watch dealer market more than at major auction. The Phillips Geneva XIV 2021 lot is the strongest single auction-house anchor on the documented record. Standard black-and-Jubilee or rootbeer-and-Jubilee examples cluster across a higher band than the steel 16710 driven by the gold-case material content. Serti gem-set examples sit in their own tier above the standard market — the 16713 and 16718 are the only GMT references with the factory serti option, which the gold variant carries with the most documented collector demand.

Sources

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